Unluck of the Irish: the cities paying 65% more for a pint of Guinness

The UK average price of a pint of Guinness is £3.79. (Jp Valery/Unsplash)

Pub-goers celebrating St Patrick’s Day on 17 March are at risk of paying 65% more for a pint of Guinness depending on where they socialise, according to a new study.

VoucherCodes looked at the cost of a pint of Guinness within major chains — JD Wetherspoon (JDW.L) and Greene King, which owns Hungry Horse, Belhaven and Flaming Grill — and across independent Irish pubs in major UK and European cities.

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Analysing a number of venues across the UK, the findings show a steep 65% price difference between the London average (£5.02) — the highest in the country — and the cheapest average pint found in Dundee (£3.05).

JD Wetherspoon has an 87% price difference across venues analysed, when comparing the cheapest and most expensive pint. Drinkers looking for a cheap Guinness at a ‘Spoons should head to The Weatsheaf in Stoke, where a pint costs just £2.49 — almost half the price of the same pint in The Lord Moon of the Mall (£4.65) in London’s West End — the most expensive venue of those in the study.

Those looking to celebrate in a traditional Irish bar this Tuesday could be paying up to 10% more for their pint of Guinness, against the UK average. The cheapest drink of those analysed can be found at Kelly’s Bar in Dundee at £3.10, but those in London will be paying 68% more in The Tipperary (£5.10).

When looking at the average cost across each UK city, Dundee (£3.05) comes out as the cheapest city to celebrate, followed closely by Coventry (£3.18) and Glasgow (£3.26).

While London is the most expensive city on average (£5.02), the research reveals the other cities also charging a premium this St Patrick’s Day are Edinburgh (£4.25) and Norwich (£4.10). The UK average price is £3.79.

The study also analysed Guinness prices across Irish pubs in Europe. Prague (£3.35), Budapest (£3.84) and Berlin (£4.16) offer the best value pints on average. But those in Paris pay up to £6.76 per pint.